Cards With Predecessor and Follower Indicia

ABSTRACT

A set of ordered playing cards includes indicia of preceding and following cards. The indicia are on the face of each cards and preferably along the side and orientated corresponding to the card designation commonly on the top left and bottom right corner of each card. The first card in the ordered set references the last card as the preceding card, and the last card in the deck references the first card as the following card.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to teaching ordering skills and in particular to a set of playing cards with each card including indicia of the prior and following cards in an ordered deck of game cards.

Children develop various skills through game playing. One important skill which is not taught by commonly played games is the ordering of members of a set. A need remains to introduce the concept of ordering to young children.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a set of ordered playing cards including indicia of preceding and following cards. The indicia are on the face of each cards and preferably along the side and orientated corresponding to the card designation commonly on the top left and bottom right corner of each card. The first card in the ordered set references the last card as the preceding card, and the last card in the deck references the first card as the following card.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a standard set of 52 French and Spanish playing cards including indicia of preceding and following cards. The indicia is present on the right and left margins of each card with the preceding card identified by an upper letter or number and the following card identified by a lower letter or number. The Ace includes the 2 as the following card, and the 2 includes the Ace as the preceding card.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a set of ordered game playing cards including indicia of preceding and following cards. The indicia help a young child to quickly master a card game and develop associated skills.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a playing card with indicia of a preceding card and a following card according to the present invention.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.

A card 10 from an ordered set of playing cards is shown in FIG. 1. The depicted is a King from a standard 52 card set of French and Spanish playing cards. The card 10 includes indicia of an Ace 14 above indicia of a queen 16 in a left margin of the card 10 above the center of the card. A second indicia of the Ace 14 below indicia of the queen 16 is in a right margin of the card 10 below the center of the card, and inverted to correspond to the designation 18 of the card's value and suit in the lower right corner. While the card 10 is shown with the higher card indicia above the lower card indicia in the left margin 12 of the card 10, in another embodiment the indicia 14 and 16 may be reversed.

The indicia 14 and 16 vertically spaced apart in the margin 12 with the preceding card indicia above the following card indicia. The highest card in the ordered set of playing cards, traditionally the Ace, shows the King as the preceding card and the 2 as the following card. The lowest card in the ordered set of playing cards, traditionally the 2, shows the Ace as the preceding card and the 3 as the following card. An example of the indicia on the standard 52 card set of French and Spanish playing cards for a single suit is:

card preceding following 2 Ace 3 3 2 4 4 3 5 5 4 6 6 5 7 7 6 8 8 7 9 9 8 10  10 9 Jack Jack 10  Queen Queen Jack King King Queen Ace Ace King 2

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims. 

1. An ordered set, each member of the set including indicia of preceding and following members of the set, comprising: a set having at least three members; a lowest member of the set including indicia of the preceding member comprising the highest member of the set and the following member of the set; an Nth member of the set higher than the lowest member of the set, and including indicia of an Nth−1 member of the set and an Nth+1 member of the set; and the highest member of the set including indicia of the preceding member of the set and the following member comprising the lowest member of the set; wherein a player may recognize an ordered sequence of the cards based the indicia and the cards may be played accordingly.
 2. The ordered set of claim 1, wherein the ordered set comprises a 52 card French and Spanish card set.
 3. The ordered set of claim 2, wherein the indicia resides in a margin of the card.
 4. The ordered set of claim 3, wherein the indicia resides below a designation of the card's value.
 5. The ordered set of claim 4, wherein the indicia resides above a card center.
 6. The ordered set of claim 5, wherein the indicia comprises two instances of the indicia, a first instance proximal to the top left corner of each card and a second instance inverted and proximal to the bottom right corner of each card above a second instance of the designation of the card's value.
 7. The ordered set of claim 6, wherein the indicia comprises: a following card indicia above a preceding card indicia, in a left margin of the card below a first instance of a designation of card value; and the preceding card indicia above the following card indicia in a right margin of the card above a second instance of the designation of the card value, both indicia in the right margin inverted.
 8. An ordered set of 52 French and Spanish playing cards, each member of the set including indicia of preceding and following members of the set, comprising: thirteen levels of cards in four suits, the levels ordered: 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; Jack Queen; King; and Ace; the 2 cards of each suit including indicia of the preceding member comprising the Ace and the following member of the set comprising the 3; intermediate Nth members of each suit including indicia of an Nth−1 member of the suit and an Nth+1 member of the suit; and the Ace of each suit including indicia of the Queen of the suit and the 2 of the suit; a first instance of the preceding and following indicia resides in a left side margin of the card below a designation of the card's value above a card center, the following indicia above the preceding indicia; and a second instance of the preceding and following indicia resides in a right side margin of the card above the designation of the card's value and below the card center, the preceding indicia above the following indicia, both indicia inverted wherein the indicia establishes an ordering of the cards and a player may order the cards for play accordingly.
 9. An ordered set of 52 French and Spanish playing cards, each member of the set including indicia of preceding and following members of the set, comprising: thirteen levels of cards in four suits, the levels ordered: 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; Jack Queen; King; and Ace; the 2 cards of each suit including indicia of the preceding member comprising the Ace and the following member of the set comprising the 3; intermediate Nth members of each suit including indicia of an Nth−1 member of the suit and an Nth+1 member of the suit; and the Ace of each suit including indicia of the Queen of the suit and the 2 of the suit; a first instance of the preceding and following indicia resides in a left side margin of the card below a designation of the card's value above a card center, the following indicia below the preceding indicia; and a second instance of the preceding and following indicia resides in a right side margin of the card above the designation of the card's value and below the card center, the preceding indicia below the following indicia, both indicia inverted; wherein a player may recognize an ordered sequence of the cards based the indicia and the player may order the cards during play accordingly. 